Samuel Gershon Junior Investigator Awards

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​​Submission is now closed.

In an ongoing effort to recognize the outstanding work of future leaders in the field, the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) is proud to announce that it will be once again offering the Samuel Gershon Junior Investigator Awards for up to four young investigators for their original research publication submissions. The Awards are named in honor of Dr. Samuel Gershon, an early pioneer of lithium research who introduced lithium to the US from Australia. He was a founding member of the ISBD and its first elected president, and is an Editor-in-Chief of Bipolar Disorders the official Society journal. Since its inception he has maintained an active role in the awards process and currently serves on the ISBD Awards Committee. This year's awards will be presented in conjunction with the 19th Annual Conference of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders in Washington DC, May 4 - 7, 2017

The 2017 winners are:

Alison Merikangas

Neurocognitive Performance as an Endophenotype for Mood Disorder Subgroups

USA

ESTHER JIMÉNEZ

IMPACT OF CHILDHOOD TRAUMA ON COGNITIVE PROFILE IN BIPOLAR DISORDER

Spain

Rishi Gupta

A study of neurochemical correlates of cognitive functions in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder

Eligibility: These awards are open to psychiatric trainees, postgraduate students, and junior faculty up to and including the Assistant Professor rank from around the world, independent of age, nationality, sex, or race. Winners from previous years are not eligible to apply.

The Awards: In order to promote research interest in bipolar disorders in developing countries, two of the awards will be reserved for those from low and middle-income countries, as defined by the 2015 World Bank Classification.

Awards will be judged on the originality of the content, as well as the significance of the findings reported, and will be evaluated by an international scientific panel under the auspices of the ISBD. The applicant's potential for long term commitment and contributions to the field of bipolar disorder will also be evaluated. All panel decisions will be final.

The awards, which are contingent upon attendance at the Washington meeting in 2017, will consist of

· Economy air travel up to $1500 to be reimbursed by ISBD upon proof of purchase

· 3 nights' accommodation based on single occupancy conference booking rates at a hotel organized by ISBD

· An award plaque, and

· Waived registration fees for the 19th Annual Conference of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders.

​Developing Country Criteria: In order for your application to qualify as a developing country submission, a statement from an advisor/mentor certifyingthat the research was conducted in a developing country must be submitted with your application. This statement can be included in the letter of support as requested in the Application Instructions.

Educational Component: After an initial review by the Awards Committee, a subset of applicants will be shortlisted and will receive a full peer review of their manuscript by the ISBD. These reviews are intended to help applicants prepare their manuscripts for submission to a peer-reviewed English language journal and have no bearing on any subsequent publication decision pertaining to Bipolar Disorders.

Award Presentation: Winners will be expected to present their paper in an oral session at the ISBD 2017 meeting in Washington.

• An up-to-date, abridged Curriculum Vitae (2 page max), including a list of publications if applicable,

• A brief statement of intent (250 words max.) explaining why you are applying for the award,

• A brief letter of support from a sponsor, and,

•An original, unpublished manuscript meeting the requirements below:

MANUSCRIPT REQUIREMENTS

The topics of the papers submitted must address key aspects of bipolar disorder. The manuscript should be based on original work that has not been published elsewhere, and should demonstrate a significant contribution from the author submitting for this award (reflected by. first/last authorship on the paper). The paper should be submitted as an article of 2500-3500 words, formatted for publication according to Bipolar Disorders guidelines.

IMPORTANT

All winning applicants must also submit an abstract (250 words max.) corresponding to their award manuscript to the Congress Secretariat no later than 21 December 2016 (winners will be provided contact information in their acceptance letters).

NOTIFICATION

All applicants will be notified via email of the committee's decision by January 2017